Call Me the Queen
by Polkadottedgiraffe11
Summary: Tatia was only half the story. Nera was the other. Forgotten and overlooked, the Mikaelsons would learn to regret it. In the end, darkness was an alluring call. Elijah/OC
1. Part One

_Two-Shot inspired by Sarah Jeffery's **Queen of Mean** song from Descendants 3._

**Part One**

* * *

_I followed all the rules,_

_I drew inside all the lines._

Nera's POV

_Once upon a time…_ That's how things always begin, isn't it? Well, once upon a time, my life was peaceful, one may even call it serene or idyllic...

It began in a small village settled among the forest lands and admits the rolling hills and winding rivers of what would later be known as Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Village life growing up was quiet, unspoiled by bloodshed or violence that other villages and clans often fell prey to; at times, it was even monotonous and tedious, the same routine and the same simple life day in and day out.

But, it was my village.

You see, I was the daughter of the village chief, born from generations of village leaders, and this village was to be my responsibility when the time came; a responsibility that I would gladly embrace when my father saw it fit.

I was four when the Mikaelsons came with their clan, warriors, seeking to conquer and seeking their own land.

For my own safety, my father sent me to live with my mother's sister in her own village, removed enough from his lineage, from my birthright, that no one would be the wiser, only my father's seal hidden in my things as a reminder of a past I had to leave behind.

It was never a war we were going to win, and I saw as my parents died, and my own people were conquered, the lands turned bloody and choked with smoke, the only truth I knew being what my aunt told me, and the vision of burning flames which I saw as my aunt carried me away from my home.

_I never asked for anything that wasn't mine,_

_I waited patiently for my time._

My life changed after that moment, although life with my aunt was much the same, her village not all that different from my own, and the memories of my parents fading quickly from my mind with each passing year; in a way, I was lucky, for the innocence of my youth protected me from the horrors and kept me ignorant of all that had occurred, the memories I did have sustained only by mother's sister, left to burn within me like a flickering ember.

I was eight when I met Elijah Mikaelson, walking alongside the stream picking herbs for my aunt, though she never let me wander far, she still trusted me to do small household tasks; after all, I had a talent many on my mother's side had inherited.

Bushes moved, rustling as if someone or something approached, and in instinct I reached both for the small hunting knife I carried in the folds of my tunic and for my magic that lie under my skin, feeding from Nature and Earth itself.

"Who goes there?" I question, my basket of herbs forgotten beside me. "Show yourself." I demand, though I was sure my voice still quivered under my fear and anxiety.

"My apologies." A voice answers, young, barely older than me. "My father sent me out to hunt. I thought perhaps I may find better conquest out here near the stream." The voice emerges from the bushes to reveal a face barely older than me. "I did not mean to startle you."

"You didn't." I answer primly, now picking up my basket and intent to leave.

"Well, my apologies anyways." The boy replies anyways, catching up to me in merely a few strides. "My name is Elijah…. Elijah Mikaelson."

"Nera." I simply offer.

_/_

"Nera." Elijah calls, running up to me in the forest, his hair flopping on his forehead as he runs up to where I kneel by the stream's side, a common place to find me picking herbs for my aunt.

"Hello Elijah." I greet, turning to smile at the second oldest Mikaelson.

Despite all the reasons we should not be friends, and my aunt's reservations, a few short years later after the death of my parents, Elijah and I had still had become friends, often meeting in the lands between our villages to play and swap secrets.

"Should you be out here alone? Isn't it dangerous?" Elijah inquires, his sword strapped to his hip. "Father says the wolves are dangerous."

"And don't you know me better than that, Elijah?" I tease in return, my eyes glimmering slightly as I flicks Elijah slightly, my magic shimmering in the air between them and causing Elijah to sway ever so subtly from it.

"You've been practicing." Elijah comments with a subtle smile.

"Of course I have." I offers, a slight hint of pride behind my words; Esther may have believed she was the one to have found my powers, beginning to mentor me, but Esther was blinded by her own hubris, for magic was in the very foundation of Nature and the Earth and I _felt_ it, moreover, Esther wasn't the only witch in the New World. "Your mother seems to think I have some sort of talent." I shrug modestly, turning back to my herb picking.

"Well, my mother does know about such things." Elijah replies.

"I don't know." I simply offer back. "My aunt supposes it is a useful skill to practice." I state; a useful skill indeed, after all, magic came from my mother's side, a long line of witches dating back generations, much like the chieftains on my father's side.

"Perhaps, one day-" Elijah remarks, pausing to pick a wildflower. "You'll be the strongest one of us all." He finishes as he hands it to me, a smile on his face.

_But when it finally came,_

_He called her name._

_And now I feel this overwhelming pain,_

_I mean it's in my veins,_

_I mean it's in my brain._

Nera had become like family; a second daughter to Esther, another pupil for Esther to mentor in the ways of magic, a sister to Rebekah, even a sister to the rest of the Mikaelson brothers.

In turn, Nera had grown to love the Mikaelson children, each in their own way; Rebekah was the sister she never had, Kol and Niklaus, both younger brothers she never got, even Finn, although he was the most distant out of the Mikaelsons, but _Elijah_, Nera was sure that she'd never love another more than she loved the second oldest Mikaelson.

Love, however, can make a person blind.

It was a winter's night when Esther gathered her children, and although Nera wasn't one of her own, Esther counted her as part of her family.

"Nera, dear. Please join us. We were just about to sit down." Esther beckons warmly, Nera walking into the hut, the fire brewing in the hearth and the food sitting in the middle of the table.

"I apologize for being late. My aunt wanted me to finish a chore for her." Nera apologizes, nodding to Mikael and then curtsying lightly to Esther as she stands next to the Mikaelson patriarch.

"Nonsense, you aren't late. You are just in time." Esther brushes off. "Sit, sit. Dinner is ready." Esther offers as the two eldest Mikaelsons make room for her at the table.

"I believe Elijah was just about to announce some happy news." Niklaus says, slightly jeering at his brother from across the table, and giving his brother a look.

"In fact, brother, I do…" Elijah gives his younger brother a look, managing to refrain from rolling his eyes as he stands up from the table.

"Oh, do tell us, Elijah." Esther smiles at her second oldest.

"Tatia and I are getting married." Elijah announces without preamble, and with that, Nera's world fell from below her feet.

"Congratulations, brother." Kol says. "You've finally found a woman that can put up with you!" He goads playfully.

"As usual, Kol, your jest is always appreciated." Elijah replies dryly.

"Nera, dear-" Esther speaks, drawing Nera out of her thoughts, though her ears still rung with a sort of hollow feeling, and her heart beat too fast for comfort. "Mikael and I were speaking, and while we already think of you as family, we were hoping that- that perhaps you would become a more permanent part of our family." Esther speaks kindly.

"Wha- what?" Nera questions, her mind not quite understanding what Esther was saying.

"What we mean is- is we were hoping to have you marry Finn." Esther tells Nera.

"I- I-" Nera speaks, unable to form words.

"_Nera_-" Finn turns to Nera, gently taking her hand in his. "While we may not love each other, I have the deepest respect for you, and I believe that we may learn to love each other in time… And, I would promise to honor and care for you as a husband should." Finn promises.

"Okay." Nera answers, feeling helpless for she had lost the one person she truly loved, so what other options did she have?

"Welcome to the family, Nera." Esther cheers warmly, a smile on her face as she looks at Nera and then her children. "Let's have a toast! To the future." She offers, raising her glass of wine, her children following suit.

_I'm kinda like a perfect picture with a broken frame,_

_I know exactly who to blame._

Nera woke up alone, under the slowly waning sunset as it streaked golden hues across the horizon, the hard ground growing quickly cold beneath her, and dirt and stone digging into her skin and ripped up skirt; muddled memories swarm before her thoughts and clouded her thoughts while her mind struggled to catch up with her surroundings.

Finally, memories of Esther, of Mikael, of a _spell_, flashed through Nera's mind.

Nera forced herself up, taking quick stock of her surroundings, her mind racing and heart pounding.

Magic was a part of Nature, a part of the Earth, it was a part of _her_; but now, where it had once been inherent within her, where it had once _spoken_ to her like a whisper in the wind, a solace after a long winter's day, a comfort of a familiar friend, now, Nature, Earth, and magic was **_silent_**.

"No- no! It's- it's not _possible!_" Nera cries, frantically throwing her hands out in front of her as if to cast a spell. "No! No! **_ESTHER!_**" Nera screams, falling back to her knees onto the ground, fury and grief calling out to the heavens and gods.

_I never thought of myself as mean,_

_I always thought that I'd be the queen._

_And there's no in between._

_'Cause if I can't have that,_

_Then I would be the leader of the dark and the bad._

_Now there's a devil on my shoulder,_

_Where the angels used to be,_

_And he's calling me the queen._

Nera ran, leaving the New World behind; after all, the Mikaelsons had forgotten her, had left her first, Elijah had passed her over for Tatia, and Esther had only used her for her own gain, _taken_ what was hers but not before turning her into something entirely different.

Well, they would _learn_ to regret it; she was a daughter of a chief, a descendant from a long line of witches, and she was destined for something greater.

Nera traveled alone, through Europe and Asia, learning, gaining strength, and mastering her new powers; in a way what Esther had done had given Nera an independence she would have never had in the small village in the New World, where otherwise she would have been destined to nothing but marriage and the life of rearing children, now Nera had a power that in time, any and _all_ would learn to fear.

In the end it wasn't enough, it would _never_ be enough.

_Being nice was my pastime,_

_But I've been hurt for the last time._

_And I won't ever let another person take advantage of me,_

_The anger burns my skin, third-degree._

_Now my blood's boiling hotter than a fiery sea._

_There's nobody getting close to me._

_They're gonna bow to the Evil Queen._

_Your nightmare's my dream,_

_Just wait until they fall to my wicked scheme._

The African and Middle Eastern Covens were constantly at war, alliances shifted at a whim, foreign enemies easily encroached on their territories, and how easy was it to break apart the bonds even within the covens where loyalty was fragile and easy to manipulate.

Nera sought power, she sought loyalty, and influence; things the Mikaelsons had not shown her in return although she had given it freely in return, loved them like siblings, loved Elijah even more than that.

"_Enough!_" Nera shouts, her hands thrusting outward, forcing the two covens apart. "Enough…" Nera repeats, her voice only slightly softer.

"Who are you to command us?" One witch demands.

"One who will bring peace… You war with one another. Like _dogs_ fighting over scraps…" Nera turns to them with a slight downturn of her lips, a sneer on her otherwise delicate and aristocratic features. "But you could have peace, prosperity, you could have _authority_, you could be **_respected_**… If you follow me." Nera continues.

"And you are but one person." Another witch protests, several joining in with nods and skeptical looks.

Nera moved, flashing towards one of the witches, within moments behind one of them, her hand pulling their powers from them with the use of her Siphoner powers, boosting the magic she had already drawn from the Earth, before flicking her hand out again, within a moment several witches were on the ground, their neck snapped, and their powers absorbed.

"Any other protests?" Nera questions calmly. "No?" Nera questions rhetorically.

"Good." Nera smiles, her smile cruel and cold, nodding to herself as she watches the covens slowly bend down on their knees to bow to her.

_I never thought of myself as mean,_

_I always thought that I'd be the queen._

_And there's no in between._

_'Cause if I can't have that,_

_Then I would be the leader of the dark and the bad._

_Now there's a devil on my shoulder,_

_Where the angels used to be,_

_And he's calling me the queen (calling me, calling me)._

Kol had heard tales of a coven of witches and warlocks, growing both in size and power in Africa, some by hearsay, _vampires_, a new breed of magic, and he had followed it like a bird following bread crumbs; desperate to regain what he had lost when his mother had turned him centuries before, even if the tales turned out to be just that, tales and stories.

His reception, however, was not well received, and despite his own power as an Original Vampire was easily subdued by the coven he sought.

"Do you know who I am?" Kol spits out, his vampire features hinting just below his eyes as he struggles in vain against the witches who hold him against his will. "When I get-"

"I am well acquainted with who you are, _Kol Mikaelson_." A voice says, echoing slightly in the room, the crowd of witches and warlocks quickly falling silent and bowing as the hooded figure appears at the head of the crowd, entering the room where the throne sits, and making Kol question just what type of power the figure held over them.

"Hello, Kol Mikaelson…" Nera finally drops her hood, her gaze piercing as she stares at the younger Mikaelson, one she had once had an affinity and kinship with due to their magic.

"_Nera_." Kol breathes, his body suddenly turning as still as stone.

"What- _how?_" Kol begins to stumble out, his mind beginning to race with a million questions.

"You are not welcome here, Kol Mikaelson." Nera's expression closes off, her gaze as frigid as ice. "If you and your family are smart, you'll stay away from the Middle East and Africa…"

"Wait, Nera-" Kol tries to speak. "_What happened?_" He manages to question Nera.

"Your family happened." Nera answers coldly as she begins to turn to leave.

"You'll get this one reminder… This territory is _mine_. Tell that to your family, Kol Mikaelson." Nera tells Kol before waving her hand and snapping his neck in one swift motion, Nera's distant and callous expression the last thing Kol remembers before darkness takes him.

"Send him back to his family as a reminder." Nera tells her coven.

_/_

"_Nera_." Elijah breathes, standing before Nera, her coven hovering along the edges, leery of the Original although Nera was more than formidable to protect herself.

"I believe I left a message with your brother, Elijah Mikaelson." Nera speaks calmly. "You and your family are not welcome here."

"I needed to see you." Elijah tells Nera honestly. "You're alive… After all these centuries."

"I am. Because of your mother." Nera says with no little amount of anger and hatred in her tone. "And no thanks to you."

"Nera-" Elijah steps forward as if to apologize.

"_No_." Nera halts Elijah with a hand out. "I do not wish to hear apologies or false platitudes. It's too late for that. It's too late for _anything_, Elijah." Her eyes flash dangerously.

"Now, I believe it's time for you to leave." Nera speaks, her hands flashing as she hurls a flash of magic towards him.


	2. Part Two

**_Part Two_**

* * *

_Something's pulling me,_

_It's so magnetic,_

_My body is moving,_

_Unsure where I'm headed._

_All my senses have left me defenseless,_

_This darkness around me,_

_Is promising vengeance._

No One's POV

New Orleans was everything the Mikaelsons expected and not; they had come to reclaim their home and throne, and to find a place that after a thousand years of running from their father they could be at home and find peace, but they were met with opposition in the form of many enemies both familiar and new.

In some ways, nothing yet everything had changed in the city they loved; there were wolves, there were witches, there were vampires, and there were humans, all combined to make New Orleans and the Quarter a thriving city of culture, music, and art.

But now, a darker evil stalked the shadows, prowled the Quarter, and _hunted_ them and the city they loved, protected, and _fought_ for.

"Are the birds gone?" Hope asks her father.

"Yeah. They're gone, sweetheart." Niklaus answers softly, tucking his daughter in tightly to her bed. "And when you're better, which will be soon, you and I are going to share the biggest plate of beignets you've ever seen. And you can tell me where in this big, wide world you'd like me to take you next."

"Mom says you love New Orleans most of all." Hope answers, smiling up at her father.

"I did, once…" Niklaus answers honestly, looking down at his daughter. "But putting your love in a place is a mistake. Being here in our home, seeing these walls, I am reminded that it is the people who are best suited to fill our hearts." Niklaus leans back down to place another soft kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Now rest. I love you, sweetheart." He finally says before turning to walk out of her room.

"Is she resting?" Elijah questions his brother, having been in the living room of the Mikaelson compound.

"Yes." Niklaus nods shortly, now picking up a drink and beginning to pace.

"Elijah…" Niklaus turns to his brother. "I believe it's time to call your witch." Niklaus finally tells his brother. "We need her help and our options are limited."

"She's not my witch." Elijah protests immediately, but his protest is lost to Niklaus' look, and Kol's snickering in the corner. "She's- she doesn't even like me…" Elijah offers, his voice a small token protest, but his thoughts had already drifted to Nera, though it had been at least a decade or two since he had last seen her, perhaps even longer.

_Elijah regretted many things in his long life, but taking Nera for granted was on the top of the list; he had passed her by for the fleeting affections of another girl, but now, he had learned to regret it, Nera was always on his mind, he knew she was more than able to take care of herself and protect herself, but it didn't lessen his desire to do so for her._

_It was the 1930s, Elijah was in Germany investigating the mass slaughter of werewolf packs, worried that it was his father, Mikael, hunting for his brother, when he saw her again; Nera was walking the streets, seemingly alone, but he would be a fool to believe that she was unprotected or unaware of her surroundings, Nera was too smart for that, too strong._

_"**Elijah**." Nera speaks, sensing the Mikaelson patriarch before he had gotten but a mere few steps behind her._

_"Nera." Elijah simply answers softly._

_"What do you want, Elijah?" Nera turns to the second oldest Mikaelson, her expression cool._

_"It's good to see you, Nera." Elijah replies, halting a few paces away from Nera. "It's been a long time."_

_"Why are you here, Elijah? What do you want?" Nera repeats._

_"My father." Elijah finally answers, understanding that he was not going to be able to speak with Nera about anything else, that she did not wish to small talk with him. "I believe that he is here, that he is hunting werewolves, and killing them. If he is indeed here… You are not safe." Elijah worries._

_"I- I appreciate the warning... But, I don't need your concern… You weren't concerned before. And, I can protect myself." Nera's gaze hardens slightly as she goes to turn away from Elijah. "Good bye, Elijah Mikaelson."_

_"I- I am sorry, Nera." Elijah stumbles out, moving forward as if to stop Nera from leaving._

_"Don't-" Nera's hand raises as if to jerk out of his reach or to stop the Original. "**Don't**, Elijah. It's a little too late for that, don't you think?" Nera offers, her voice colder now. "I don't **need** your help, Elijah Mikaelson… I never have. And I'm not about to start **now**. Now, **good bye**, Elijah."_

_Nera's anger may have simmered in that moment, Elijah had been lucky that she hadn't thrown him through a wall or hurled a fireball at him, both things she had done in the past, but her restraint then didn't mean she wasn't still royally pissed at him, and Elijah was left standing in the street, watching Nera walk away from him again._

Nera was as old as them, as strong as them, if not stronger since she was the first Siphoner and Heretic, the beginning of a long and formidable new species alongside the Originals, and she had made it quite clear over the centuries that Africa and the Middle East were her territory, and to threaten them was to threaten her; moreover, she had made it quite clear that she was angry at them for their past wrongs and slights against her, more specifically _Elijah's _past doings, but she would pull no punches if or when she crossed paths with _any_ of them due to her long standing grudge. She was certainly a woman that knew how to hold a grudge; a woman scorned _indeed_.

"_Yet_, dear brother, you've been harboring a small crush on her since the _earlier_ century…" Kol offers unhelpfully with a smirk on his face.

"She may kill us rather than help us..." Elijah argues instead.

"Another point… She _hasn't_." Kol points out.

"Wait, just _who_ exactly is this woman?" Hayley questions, having never heard of this mystery woman, and sitting on the couch, but it may answer the reason as to why Elijah never seemed to pay attention to _her_ advances or flirtations, try as she may to gain his attention and affection he clearly wasn't interested.

"Only our brother's lover… Lover being a _generous_ term." Rebekah intrudes into the conversation, just walking into the living room from whatever she did most days, but having heard the tail end of the conversation. "It's a long story, Wolf Girl… A thousand years one may say… She's only tried to kill our brother a few dozen times… But, for some reason, our brother's got it in his head he's in love with her…" Rebekah comments somewhat offhandedly, but truth be told, Rebekah and Nera were once close, as close as sisters, and by Esther's selfish actions, Rebekah had lost a best friend and sister all in one fateful night.

Elijah looks at his sister only slightly offended; whether it was for his own honor or Nera's honor, no one was certain.

"Don't deny it, brother…" Kol teases his brother. "You're head over heels for her. Nothing to be ashamed of. A lesser man would be as well… I mean… Finn's still engaged to her… I suppose we could just unstake him and have him call her."

"It doesn't matter… She won't talk to me." Elijah brushes off, blatantly ignoring his brother's dig.

"Fine… Then _I'll_ do it." Kol huffs with an eye roll.

_So my only interest is showing these princes,_

_That I am the queen,_

_And my reign will be endless (endless)._

Malachai Parker swaggers into the Mikaelson mansion with his usual confidence, a self-assured and poised young man now, his magic honed and controlled like the tip of a well-used sword, no longer an angry and defiant young boy that Nera had once taken in, swinging the doors wide open with a casual flick of his magic.

Once a member of the Gemini Coven, eldest twin to Josette, and eldest of all the Gemini siblings, Malachai Parker no longer belonged to the Gemini Coven, no, he had left over a decade ago, more specifically he had _run_, and now was Nera's second hand and heir to her coven and kingdom.

_Malachai Parker had come to Nera when he was only 17 years old, a mere **child** in comparison to her; rebellious, desperate for love, and oh so very angry, a teenager whose parents despised him for who he was._

_He had found her in Kenya, shortly before she had decided to move to Cairo, Egypt; one of her guards had found him, and although his powers were already extraordinary, they were untrained and still so young, therefore no match for her coven's strength._

_"We found him, our Queen, attempting to break in, to attack us."_

_"Not break in." Malachai defends himself, defiant even in the midst of witches far more powerful than himself._

_"Then a spy."_

_"Not a spy." Malachai corrects again, still so insolent and rebellious in the midst of his accusers._

_"Perhaps, you should let him speak for himself." Nera holds up a hand, rising from her spot on cushions on a raised dais, waving away her guards._

_"I ran away. I owe no allegiance to anyone." Malachai remains defiant, but he answers Nera once her guards have left and only she remains. "My own father despises me... It was my right to be leader and he's plotted against that. All because he thinks my magic is an abomination. That **I** am an abomination. Because I have none of my own." Malachai explains, his face furious, filled with the passion of injustice, and the need to correct it._

_"You're a Siphoner." Nera tilts her head to look at him more closely._

_"Yes. And I heard rumors. Of a coven- **your** coven." Malachai answers, looking up at Nera from where he had been forced to kneel._

_For a moment, Nera could see herself in him; all the pain, the betrayal, the hurt, the darkness, and the need to prove oneself._

_"What is your name?"_

_"Malachai. Malachai Parker."_

"Why so stiff, guys? You look _so_ uncomfortable… Why not lighten up… Have a little fun…" Malachai questions with a mocking and sarcastic grin as his eyes dance with fire. "Oh… You didn't _actually_ think you'd get _Nera_ did you?" Malachai laughs a little to himself as if amused by the thought; Nera wouldn't concern herself with trivial things, let alone those who had left her to die.

"Who the _hell_ are you?" Niklaus demands with a growl.

"Oh, we're playing the guessing game now? Because I bet I can guess who all-" Malachai cuts off as Niklaus growls again, stepping forward threatening at Malachai when his question is unanswered.

"_Ah_, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Malachai tsks, waving his finger mockingly, his eyes darkening as his hand thrusts forward, darkness and just a hint of his hot temper simmering in his dark brown eyes; the years with Nera had curbed his hot and explosive temper, what would have become his sociopathic tendencies, and his unbridled rage, but at his core, Malachai still did not outgrow all of it. "Now, my mother told me to play nice… But, there are a _lot_ of things I can do in the meantime… And, well, I'd _hate_ to get your fancy house all bloody…" Malachai shrugs as he brings the Original Hybrid to his knees with a simple flick of his wrists and a casual spell.

"Mother?" Elijah questions, his voice suspiciously high.

"Well, you didn't think Nera **_waited_** for you, did you?" Malachai tilts his head, smirking at Elijah as he finally releases Niklaus from his spell. "Now, where's my room?"

_I want what I deserve,_

_I want to rule the world._

_Sit back and watch them learn,_

_It's finally my turn._

"That's not _really_ her son… Right?" Kol questions, peering skeptically out through the large bay windows of the Mikaelson mansion, Malachai standing out in the open grounds of the Mikaelson mansion. "I mean… Nera doesn't have a son… She _can't_ have a son…" Kol questions a little more unsure of himself as if the earth had just dramatically shifted beneath himself somehow.

"He wears her seal, Kol." Elijah simply states. "Regardless if he is her son or not, we must treat him with respect. Malachai is a part of her coven." Elijah tells his youngest brother, the thought of Nera having a son with someone leaving a bad taste in his mouth; though the thought was quite illogical since she _was_ a vampire, practically an Original herself, though not a part of their family, she was created at the same time and by the same spell they all were, she was an Original by origin and technicality.

Malachai merely smirks outside, as if hearing the inside conversation; he could, after all, he was a Heretic, a vampire and warlock. Nera had made him one only after he turned 25, she would no sooner, despite his pleading. She wanted him to master his magic and to have the chance to grow.

"Daddy- daddy who is that?" Hope questions, peering out the window of the mansion, her small hand pointing towards Malachai.

"Uh- well, a friend… Of sorts." Niklaus answers his daughter a little evasively. "Someone to help protect you, my sweetheart." Niklaus proceeds to explain; Malachai put the Original Hybrid on edge, particularly after the stunt he pulled earlier, Niklaus wanted him gone as soon as possible, _and_ as far away from his daughter that he could possibly be, he no sooner trusted him as far as he could throw him, which being that Malachai was a Heretic, it wasn't far.

"Daddy!" Hope wiggles from her father's grip. "Daddy! Look!" Hope continues to point eagerly. "He- he has _magic!_" Hope eagerly wiggles away from her father.

"Wait- wait, Hope!" Niklaus races after his daughter in attempts to prevent her from running towards the clearly homicidal Heretic that was a part of Nera's coven. "Wait-" Niklaus runs towards Hope.

"You have magic!?" Hope's eager face peers up towards Malachai.

"Well, just who do we have _here?_" Malachai turns to face Hope, his hands dropping to his sides, as his expression dances with both mischief and fire.

"I'm Hope Mikaelson!" Hope announces. "You- you have magic!? So- so do I!"

"Hope… Well, I'm Kai. It's nice to meet you." Malachai offers, keeling down so he can look at Hope face-to-face. "I am a warlock… Not the same as you. My kind are called Siphoners and Heretics. Because we don't have our own magic. My mother is the first. Want to see something cool?" Malachai asks, mischief dancing in his eyes.

"Yes!" Hope cheers as Niklaus only looks wary, practically prowling just behind his young daughter in agitation.

Malachai places on hand on the ground and with one wave of his other hand, the ground around them shakes and shutters, wind whipping with the ferocity of a small tornado, and the windows of the Mikaelson mansion even shattering under his powers.

"Wow!" Hope looks up at Malachai in child-like wonder. "Can you teach me!?" She eagerly clamors.

"Maybe later, kiddo." Malachai smirks a little, ruffling her hair playfully. "I have work to do. And I don't think your daddy would like that so much."

_I never thought of myself as mean,_

_I always thought that I'd be the queen._

_And there's no in between._

_'Cause if I can't have that,_

_Then I would be the leader of the dark and the bad._

_Now there's a devil on my shoulder,_

_Where the angels used to be,_

_And he's calling me the queen (calling me, calling me)._

Nera was just as beautiful as Elijah had remembered her, and her powers had only strengthened as a Siphoner and Heretic in the years that had passed; yet again, the Mikaelsons awaited her, aligned in the foyer of the Mikaelson mansion like a procession awaiting a Queen, this time, Malachai standing among the procession.

"_Kai_." Nera greets first, red dress flowing behind her like water as she sweeps in with the rest of her entourage, and her tone much softer than Elijah had heard in centuries.

"Mother." Malachai moves forward to greet the woman who had raised and taught him everything he knew, who had given him _freedom_ and **redemption**, her embrace warm and familiar before he moves to her side where he would remain for as long as she would have him.

"_Nera_." Elijah greets overly formal, even giving Nera a deep bow of respect and offering his arm for her, Malachai simply grinning a bit wickedly at the Mikaelson patriarch, as if to goad him into reacting.

"Elijah." Nera greets back, her gaze shifting towards the Mikaelsons.

"It's- it's good to see you." Elijah offers a bit stiltedly, yet truthfully; he was glad to see her, after all, his brothers weren't wrong, he was in love with Nera, and he had been for several decades, but he knew that it was his fault she was so angry, stilted by his disregard for her centuries before, and most of all, for what his mother had done to her.

"Malachai called. He needed my help. I came." Nera replies, placing her hand on Malachai's arm, the tension in the room palpable.

"Mother…" Malachai captures his mother's attention, but his gaze tells Elijah and the other Mikaelsons that he knows _exactly_ what he was playing at and the emotions he was toying with. "I'll show you to our room." Malachai offers Nera his arm before sweeping her past the Mikaelsons.

"Room?" Kol questions quietly as he watches Nera and Malachai walk upstairs. "Isn't he a bit _old_ to be sleeping with Nera?"

"_Kol_…" Elijah sighs wearily, not quite wanting to think of the implications of Malachai, who _did_ look too old to be sleeping in the same room or even general vicinity of Nera, but the Mikaelson patriarch pushed the thought aside in favor of the larger issues at hand, _and_ his own sanity.

"What? We were all _thinking_ it…" Kol defends himself, looking at his brother innocently.

"Have you… Settled in well, Nera? Is there anything we can get to make your stay more… Pleasant?" Elijah appears in the doorway of what is both Malachai and Nera's room in the Mikaelson estate.

"Yes. This will be just fine. Thank you." Nera replies, turning to look at the Mikaelson patriarch.

"Good. That's- that's good." Elijah answers, the silence once more falling between them; it is one of the few times in nearly a century that they have had a conversation and for the first time, Elijah is speechless, unprepared, and unsure of himself, where once, _centuries ago_, he would have been able to talk to her for hours upon hours about anything and everything.

"Kai said it is some sort of spirit… A darkness. He can feel it." Nera offers as sort of a peace offering.

"Yes. The Hollow, it is called." Elijah explains. "It's attacking us…. Attacking New Orleans. It's taking _children_. We are- we are hopelessly unprepared. Will you help us, Nera?"

_I want what I deserve,_

_I want to rule the world._

_Sit back and watch them learn,_

_It's finally my turn._

New Orleans and the French Quarter was a center for magic, it seeped from the ground and Earth, and hung in the air, moving like waves; Nera stood in the middle of the Mikaelson plantation with Malachai, letting it sweep around them like a current, feeling it as it crashed upon them like a current.

"Are you ready, Kai?" Nera questions Malachai, staring at the one who she had raised from the rebellious 17 year old teenager to the man who stood before her now, now the right hand and second in command of her coven.

"Yes, mother." Malachai answers, offering his hands to his mother and coven leader.

"Then let's begin." Nera places her hands in his own, their eyes closing shut as Nera allows herself to siphon Malachai's magic from him, feeling his power flow into her as the other witches and warlocks she had brought with her more as an honor guard stood in a circle around her to help contain the magic.

Magic rushed over them, roaring like a monsoon, rising from Nature on command, shaking and thundering as Nera cast her spell, seeking out the foreign Spirit across New Orleans.

"Oh… _Hello there_." Nera speaks, her eyes opening with a flash and spark of her powers. "Just what do we have here?" Nera questions.

"Who dares challenge me?" The Hollow speaks, a clamors number of voices overlap one another, creating an echoing effect as the skies begin to darken, and flowers begin to die as the Spirit forms, the blue light nearly blinding.

"My name is Nera King… Daughter of a Chief and descendant of the Alexander Witches, and you-" Nera pauses her words as her magic begins to surround the Hollow hoping to choke the Spirit out, reaching deep into the Spirit's conscience and memories; while Nera generally only had three rules for her coven, one of which was her rule regarding taking someone's autonomy away, in this case, Nera was making an exception for there was great power in knowledge and in names.

"_Inadu_, are not **_welcome_** here." Nera continues, tugging and pulling at the Hollow's inner magic and memories, forcing her own magic towards the Spirit with a forceful shove, her magic flaring brightly.

Red magic collided with the Hollow's blue, shaking the very foundations of the Mikaelson compound, the ground shifting and splitting, like an earthquake that threatened to rupture the earth and tear apart Nature itself.

The Hollow screamed, an ear splitting scream that sent the Mikaelsons to the ground, and shattered the windows of the compound as Nera continued her assault on the Spirit.

"**_Inadu_**." Nera spoke, voice vibrating with the forces of Nature and authority her generational line gave her, and her eyes glowing with her magic as she draws more magic from Malachai, while Malachai siphoned magic from Nature itself. "Your power here is no more… You will no longer do any harm here." And with a powerful blast Nera's magic blankets the entire Mikaelson plantation, dragging the Hollow under like a tidal wave in the ocean.

_/_

Niklaus watched with some dawning horror as Malachai kneeled with his daughter in the Mikaelson living room, helping her focus her compulsion powers on one of his hybrids, and while Malachai had never shown any of his clearly _murderous_ and _psychopathic_ tendencies towards his daughters, he was clearly a psychopath.

"Am I doing it right, Kai?" Hope questions.

"Oh, you're doing great, Hope!" Kai encourages. "See, the trick is, you have to really believe in what you're telling them." Kai tells Hope.

"Well, I really want that ice cream."

"Okay, well, then tell him to go get it for you." Kai winks at the little girl.

"You're going to get me ice cream." Hope orders in a small, but fierce voice, the hybrid getting up to get Hope ice cream a moment later.

"Good job. Look at you!" Kai offers Hope a small high five.

"Yay!" Hope squeals, hugging Malachai around the waist, taking the Heretic by surprise.

"_Malachai_." Nera steps back into the Mikaelson mansion looking towards her son, as always, the picture of regality.

"Gotta go, kiddo. Keep practicing… And hey, if you every need something… Here's this. Just think of me. I'll be here." Malachai flips Hope a small coin elegantly carved in old runes to which she catches. "But, _only_ in an emergency, okay? That's very important. Now, keep yourself out of trouble. Don't want my mom to have to come rescue you again." Malachai winks playfully before sauntering out after his mother.

"Thank you, Nera." Elijah tells Nera, standing outside with Kol and Rebekah, wishing there was something more to say but not knowing what else to say with the decades of bad blood between them despite wishing it was different.

"Good bye, Elijah." Nera simply nods to the Mikaelson patriarch as Malachai opens the passenger side door for her, then quickly flashing over to the driver's side of their Escalade, their cars driving off a moment later leaving Elijah feeling as if he had somehow lost a moment.

_I never thought of myself as mean,_

_I always thought that I'd be the queen._

_And there's no in between._

_'Cause if I can't have that,_

_Then I would be the leader of the dark and the bad._

_Now there's a devil on my shoulder,_

_Where the angels used to be,_

_And he's calling me the queen (calling me, calling me)._

_/_

_I want what I deserve._


	3. Epilogue

_Inspired by Sofia Carson, Dove Cameron, China Anne McClain's song _**_One Kiss _**_from Descendants 3._

**_Epilogue_**

* * *

_Don't freak out, it's okay,_

_'Cause true love can save the day,_

_And I think we felt the same._

_But I don't know,_

_When we met, it was sweet,_

_She was oh so into me,_

_Seems like things are meant to be,_

_But I don't know._

_/_

_Does she love me? Or does she love me not?_

_Do I love her? And is it strong enough?_

No One's POV

Elijah paced in his study long after Nera and her coven had left the Mikaelson compound, his thoughts a jumble of a million feelings that he couldn't quite grasp or come to terms with; seeing Nera in person after several decades had only seemed to strengthen the feelings he had and yet confuse him all the more.

"Would you just grow some balls and chase after her already?" Kol complains, poking his head into his older brother's study. "All your pining is giving me a headache… And, it's pathetic…" Kol sighs with another drawn out eye roll.

"_Honestly_, Kol…" Elijah sighs, turning to his brother with an irritated look, not quite patient enough to put up with his youngest brother's dramatics and quips.

"I'm serious." Kol rolls his eyes again. "You like her, she likes you. Two plus two… I think any genius can figure it out." Kol snorts.

"Yes, for once I agree with our brother." Niklaus strides into the study to stand alongside Kol. "Just go to her… What are you afraid of, brother?" Niklaus questions. "You know… Besides the potential fireball or two…" Niklaus waves his hand. "It's hardly like you can be killed all that easily…"

"It's not that simple." Elijah protests. "It's been decades… She- she has a life. A son…" He makes a token protest at reasons why they wouldn't work.

"Then _make_ it simple." Niklaus offers. "Go to her… Be her white knight in shining armor. You were always good at that… Why do you think she came, Elijah? It certainly wasn't for any of us."

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_It all comes down to this._

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh,_

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_This moment could be it,_

_I, I, I wanna know,_

_So here I go (go)._

Elijah regretted so many things in his life, taking Nera for grated and choosing Tatia over Nera was one of them, the one thing he regretted the _most_ in his long life; if he could go back in time, make a different choice, he would, without reservation.

"Our siblings tell me that, despite it being over a thousand years, you've yet to _get_ the girl… As Kol says…" Finn walks into his younger brother's study.

"Finn." Elijah sighs, sparing a glance at his elder brother before returning to his brooding and pacing.

"Yes. Hello brother." Finn looks at his younger brother a bit impassively as they stand nearly side by side and look across the Mikaelson plantation. "So, tell me… Is what our younger, meddling brothers say indeed true?" Finn inquires.

"You know very well why Nera and I are not together, Finn." Elijah tries very hard not to let his irritation show, because of _course_ his younger siblings would see it fit to _wake_ Finn in hopes that it would somehow prompt him to do something.

"Nera and I never loved one another, Elijah. You know that. We may still be engaged… But, it has been over a _thousand_ of years. If there was something to come of it, I would have married her by now." Finn turns from the window to look around at his brother's study, taking in the objects and things decorating it, ornaments of their previous life, even things that reminded him of Nera, adorning Elijah's study.

"Yes, I do know that. But thank you for that reminder." Elijah's jaw ticks slightly at the reminder that Finn had been, _engaged_, to the woman that he perhaps loved above all, despite the fact he chose wrong the first time around.

"Perhaps that reminder is what you _need_." Finn offers plainly, giving his brother a look. "Despite what you may believe, Nera only accepted because she felt like she had no other options."

"And how do you know that?" Elijah growls slightly at his older brother.

"Because I've _talked_ to her, brother." Finn replies evenly, meeting his brother's gaze back evenly. "And even if I hadn't, it was easy to see. While you were too wrapped up in Tatia, I listened and I _saw_… We may not have been as close, but it didn't mean I didn't care about her… That I _do_ care about her. She loves you, Elijah. Now, it's about time you show the same… Don't you think? If you love her as much as you claim to."

_Keep it cool, keep it calm,_

_Think she's loved me all along._

_But maybe I got it wrong,_

_So I don't know (hey)._

_I'm good, she's bad._

_Could we be a perfect match?_

_Now, I don't know._

_/_

_Does she love me? Or does she love me not?_

_Do I love her? And is it strong enough?_

Elijah sat in the Mikaelson jet as it flew over the dry, desert landscape of Egypt, feeling no little amount of apprehension; would she refuse to hear him out? Refuse to see him at all? Was this all for nothing?

The Alexander Coven and its court was tucked against the bank of the Nile, what was once hidden, now prominent in an ever growing and expanding city, its towers and architecture part of the dominating the skyline; the beautiful mosque was given to Nera by a sheik or prince, if Elijah remembered correctly, one of her previous marriages in the earlier centuries, and though they had parted ways, Nera had maintained the palace as a parting gift from her suitor.

Elijah arrived at the Alexander Coven's borders, well aware that his presence was detected, more than likely the moment he had gotten within miles of their borders.

"Well, well, just what do we have here?" Malachai appears suddenly, his expression dark as he reveals himself, his two black panthers prowling beside him, their tails swishing back and forth and eyes glowing; the panthers had been a gift from Nera, however, their unfortunate mishap into immortality had been _his_ mistake by a spell gone wrong in his younger years. "An unwanted… _Guest_…" The word guest is said with disdain as if Malachai would much have rather said something else.

"_Malachai_." Elijah answers evenly, showing as little amount of aggression or hostility as possible, knowing how much animosity there was between Nera and himself, no doubt Malachai would have the same for him. "Nera sent you."

"You know… I have many responsibilities… After all, I am heir to the Alexander Coven. And, I do a lot around here." Malachai answers, beginning to stroll towards Elijah slightly. "One of which, sometimes includes, _taking out the trash_." Malachai finally hisses, his eyes showing no little amount of hatred as a blue ball of magic, not unsimilar to Nera's begins forming between his hands, and Elijah mentally prepared himself to be thrown backwards as he had been so many times before he'd lost count.

"_Malachai_." Another witch appears, seemingly melting out of the shadows of the expansive Alexander Coven grounds.

"What?" Malachai answers impatiently, the blue orb hovering, suspended in the air.

"Nera requests your presence…" The witch replies. "And…" The witch adds, nodding towards Elijah.

"_Fine_." Malachai hisses. "Well then, Elijah Mikaelson… Guess it's your lucky day." Malachai rushes Elijah before he can reorient himself, both disappearing in another moment.

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_It all comes down to this._

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh,_

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_This moment could be it,_

_I, I, I wanna know,_

_So here I go (go)._

/

_I feel my heartbeat beating saying 'it's gonna work',_

_But if I'm dream-dream-deaming, this is gonna hurt._

_Either I will or I won't._

_What if I do and she don't?_

_Am I her Romeo?_

_Oh, there's only one, one way to really know._

Malachai walked ahead of the Original, his two panthers prowling alongside the Heretic as if it was a royal procession, as Elijah followed a few steps behind, winding through the marble courtyard that finally lead to the main ballroom to which Nera sat on an elevated dais, her own white tigers lying beside her as if she were a queen; although, Elijah privately conceded, in many ways, she was.

"_Nera_." Elijah greets, standing at the footsteps of her throne where she met many foreign dignitaries, other coven leaders, and important figureheads.

"Elijah." Nera answers back, only a brief moment of surprise coloring her expression before it's gone, for she hadn't expected to hear or see the Original for at least another few decades.

"What brings you here?" She finally questions after a moment of silence.

"_You_, Nera." Elijah replies. "I lost my chance with you centuries ago. I let you slip away from me… When my mother- No… I can make many excuses, my mother, even my father. But the truth is- I was wrong. I chose Tatia, but it was you… It's always been you, Nera. I love you."

"_It's about time, Elijah Mikaelson_." Nera simple smiles, rising from her seat on the elevated dais.

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_It all comes down to this._

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_Oh, oh, oh, oh,_

_One kiss, one kiss,_

_This moment could be it,_

_I, I, I wanna know,_

_So here I go (go)._


End file.
